he represented johnny carson's wife, actress carol channing. and former new york city mayor rudolph giuliani. but more on that later. do you like representing big name celebrities? >> no because they're difficult reporter: you do represent them. is is it because they represent big fees? >> yeah. i mean that's the american system. >> reporter: a system in which he grew up borderline poor in brooklyn. the son of jewish immigrants. his father, a vet turned not very successful lawyer, barely spoke to his mother. in 1934, his older brother jerome caught polio at camp. in a new memoir felder describes his brother helpless in an iron lung. the way he was treated as a child when he got polio while at the camp >> barbaric in those days. they talked about amputating his legs >> reporter: for any good reason? >> (crying) can we cut? ♪ this magic moment >> reporter: as a teenager, jerome felder renamed himself doc pomis and became famous writing hit songs >> teenager love, this magic moment. his songs are still being played all over the world >> reporter